Matti came to EMBL in 1990 to lead an independent research group and was promoted to the very senior post of Programme Coordinator in 1996. He was highly respected in the fields of molecular and structural biology and served as Managing Editor of the scientific journal FEBS Letters. One of his last projects at EMBL was to establish a facility for advanced electron microscopy. This facility will be dedicated to his memory.

Matti will be deeply missed by his friends and colleagues at EMBL. He is survived by his wife and children. The best tribute to Matti can be made by those who knew him personally and professionally, and on the next page they have shared some of their memories and feelings.